WWRA Collective Executive Committee Statement 11th March 2013

I resigned on 11 February in protest at your lack of support for the Committee, who had been inaccurately accused of allowing Members to “ATTACK” Cllr Hibbert at a General meeting on 11 February by Cllr Iris Johnston. (video requires Adobe Flash Player)

To show the truth of this matter, I have made copies of the correspondence for the membership to read for themselves.

Within hours of my resignation, the other members of the Committee were asking me to reconsider my decision. This view was also shared by Cllr Hibbert in an email.

It saddens me that you have accused me of not supporting you as Chairman. Supporting you and emailing you our every decision and action is all the Committee and I have been doing for the last 18 months.

You chose not to reply to our emails or my resignation so at the last Committee meeting on 18th February which you attended, I withdrew my resignation and Chaired the meeting. You said nothing.

On 7th March, 16 days after the meeting, you emailed saying you have accepted my resignation.

When questioned, you said it’s nothing to do with what the Committee says or wants as the Chairman makes the decisions.

You couldn’t list any supporting evidence for your view from the WWRA Constitution.

18 months ago you resigned from the Committee and have only attended 2 meetings, losing your temper at both and being very aggressive with anyone who disagreed with you.

After your last outburst Tony Buck not only resigned from the Committee, but from the WWRA completely.

A Committee, by definition, is there to have oversight on the running of the Association and to safeguard the interests, money and property of the membership. It is not a rubber stamping exercise for your actions and we have a democratic right to speak out if we think ANYONE is not following the Constitution of the Association.

Reading your Chairman’s Report in the Record for the past few editions you make no mention of the WWRA, its people, achievements or the events it runs. Many people have asked why it has become a Councillor’s Report and that the lines of responsibility appear to be blurred.

We would be failing the membership if we did not at least register our disapproval of your actions, even if you don’t take any notice of it and carry on with your present practices.

We have to point out to the Membership the fact that you told us you still have WWRA property and documents at your home. We also strongly disagree with your intention to give the engraved vintage pancake pans, or anything else for that matter, to the Heritage Centre without the consent of the Membership.

All we wanted was to work with you for the good of the Association. We all put in weeks of work and scrubbed the Bakehouse, staged successful events, outings, generated new members and lots of fun. You have been heard describing all these activities as “INTERFERING” We know this because when you would rarely even SPEAK to us, you were more than happy to COMPLAIN about us to everyone else.

Finally, on the 12th February in the Bakehouse, you stated that you don’t need or care about the Committee and that you can do everything yourself.